Reflector



Sept 12, 1939. KQUBEK 2,172,659

REFLECTOR Filed Jan. 24, 1936 Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES amass REFLECTOR John L. Koubek, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 24, 1936, Serial No. 60,564

3 Claims.

This invention relates to light reflecting means of the autocollimating type in which incident light is reflected back toward its source and the reflecting means appears tobe illuminated.

5 It relates more specifically to reflecting means used in various signs such as danger signs, advertising signs, etc. that lie adjacent a highway and upon which the rays from the headlights of cars would fall and be reflected back thus causing illumination of the sign or signal and its visibility to the approaching cars. They are widely termed reflex buttons. This construction is similar to that shown in my copending 16 applications Serial No. 60,565 filed January 24,

1936 and Serial No. 60,566 filed January 24, 1936 (Patent No. 2,131,629, issued September 2'7, 1938).

An object of my invention is to provide reflecting means of high eflicienoy which reflect a high percentage of the incident light.

It is a further object to provide a reflecting means having a short major axis for space economy.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a single unitary part capable of reflect- 25 ing the incident rays.

With these and other objects in view, the embodiments of my invention are set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side elevation, bottom plan and perspective views of one form of my invention.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are corresponding views of a second form of my invention.

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 are corresponding views of a further modified form of my invention.

The various reflecting devices ordinarily used along highways which are used to designate curves, cross ngs, etc. are usually formed of a plurality of separate reflecting means associated in any desired manner the configuration of which is to outline letters of a word or the direction of a curve. The present invention deals with the reflecting units which are placed in any type of suitable retainer to spell out words or form a desired configuration.

In Figure 1 is shown a reflecting member l8 in accordance with the invention. The member I8 is square in transverse cross section as indicated and is formed of glass or other transparent or translucent material. In the rear of the member I8 is a pyramidal recess 20. The opposite or front face is formed of two interconnecting or intersecting cylindrical surfaces l4 and IS. The curved surfaces formed by the portions of the'intersecting cylinders are spaced from corresponding portions of the surface formed by the pyramidal recess a distance such that light rays parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and. passing through each of said curved surfaces are reflected from the corresponding surface of the recess and focused substantially at a point on the side wall of the member adjacent the reflecting surface. In this way the reflection is across to the next adjacent member and then back in the direction of incidence, the members being placed in juxtaposition in a row or like manner.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4-6 inclusive, the main body of the member l8 has in its rear surface a re-entrant pyramid 20' similar to that described in Figs. 1-3, the forward face in this instance being formed of four intersecting cylindrical portions H) which form a curved surface with intersecting lines between the sections, the effect, however, being similar to that shown in the modification of Figures 1-3, inclusive.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7-9, the body of the member l8" has cut in its rear face a re-entrant pyramid 20", the forward face in this instance being a spherical surface 4'.

In any of the devices as shown and described the incident light projected on the forward curved surface of any one of the disclosed types is concentrated or converged and falls upon some portion of the rear surface which in this instance is formed by a right angled pyramidal recess cut into the rear surface and upon this converging light striking the rear surface it is reflected across to the next adjacent member and back in the direction from which the incident ray had come.

As before mentioned, if it is desired to make these devices more eflicient, the rear surface of the same may be covered with silver to improve this reflection. Any one of these structures may be employed in a suitable support to form a part of a configuration for any reflex signaling of roadside signs. This type is advantageous as they require much less transverse space than any! type using a separate reflecting surface spaced to the rear of the condensing lens.

I claim:

1. A reflecting device comprising a regularly shaped transparent body square in cross section, a pyramidal recess formed in one end of the body and a portion having surfaces curved in at least two directions on the opposite end, all of said surfaces on the last mentioned end being of equal area and curvature, said surfaces being spaced from corresponding portions of the surface forming the pyramidal recess a distance such that light rays parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and passing through one of said curved surfaces are reflected from the corresponding surface of the recess and focused substantially on .the side wall of. the block adjacent the reflecting surface.

2. A reflecting device comprising, a block of transparent material square in transverse cross section, an integral portion on one end including a plurality of rounded surfaces formed of portions of two cylinders which intersect at an angle to each other, all of said surfaces on said end being identical in area and curvature, and a pyramidal recess formed in the opposite end of said block, said curved surfaces being spaced from corresponding portions of the surface formed by the pyramidal recess a distance such that light rays parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and passing through each of said curved surfaces are reflected from the corresponding surface of the recess and focused substantially at a point on the side wall of the block adjacent the reflecting surface.

.3. A reflecting device comprising, a block of transparent material square in transverse cross section, an integral portion on one end including four curved surfaces of equal area formed of. portions of two cylinders which intersect at right angles to each other, the axes of the cylinders being parallel with transverse center lines of the block, and the opposite end of said block having a pyramidal recess therein, each of the four surfaces forming the sides of the pyramidal recess being in longitudinal alignment with one of said curved surfaces and spaced therefrom a distance such that light rays parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and passing through said one curved surface are reflected from the corresponding surface of the recess and focused substantially at a point on the side Wall of the block adjacent the reflecting surface.

JOHN L. KOUBEK. 

